


Sharpest Lives

by BookMonsterEliz



Series: Pacific Rim Bandom AU [2]
Category: Bandom, Midtown (Band), My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, F/M, Jaeger Pilots, Jaegers (Pacific Rim), Kaiju (Pacific Rim), M/M, NO WAYCEST, i took some liberties
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-06-29 02:13:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15719826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookMonsterEliz/pseuds/BookMonsterEliz
Summary: The world is turned upside down when the Kaiju rise from the deep. Here's the story of how Gerard and Mikey Way, Ray Toro, and Frank Iero are drafted into the PPDC and become Jaeger pilots, working together to save the world.It's not pretty, it sure as fuck isn't easy, but someone's gotta do it. After all:The sharpest lives are the deadliest to lead.***Some of the above characters will be introduced as the story progresses.***





	1. Save yourself, I'll hold them back

**Author's Note:**

> Through the broken glass and the morning light,  
> Be a burning star if it takes all night  
> So just save yourself I'll hold them back tonight

Gerard Way's world changed the day the first Kaiju rose above the waves even though he was only dimly aware of how much everything would change. He dropped his art school homework and watched the footage with undisguised wonder undercutting his horror. He'd always been a fan of horror movies, of monsters and creatures from the depths, and here was one in the flesh, rising from the deep to ravage cities like a real live reptilian godzilla.   
  
No one knew exactly what the creature was or how it came to be. It was an anomaly, a real life Nessie sighting. Some wondered if it was a sign of the end of times, while others debated that it was an inbred creature, a one off phenomenon. Others called it the last of the dinosaurs, puzzling but amazing. After all, who really knew what lay in the depths of the ocean?   
  
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months, and the news shifted its focus off of the kaiju and onto other more pressing topics. Then, a second Kaiju attacked, six months later, leaving devastation in the Philippines. The buzz started up again, this time with much more fear. The kaiju had struck twice, a third occurrence was sure to follow.   
  
Gerard went about his daily life with a flutter of nervous fear in his veins. He tried to focus on his studies instead of the bottom of a bottle. He graduated, and got a job at Cartoon Network. It wasn't as great as he'd hoped, but it was something, a start. He felt himself spiraling out of control, into depression and fear, and did his best to stave it off with his art, and with some jam sessions with Mikey and Ray everytime he got the chance to go back home. 

He wasn't surprised when the third kaiju attacked, just relieved that it was Sydney, and not NYC, or god forbid, New Jersey. Anything but home. He watched, mesmerized, as the beautiful city was torn apart. He was in awe of the creature, even as he was afraid of it. 

A few weeks later news spread of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps' Jaeger Program. Gerard was relieved, and his sketchbook grew to include doodles of transformer like machines fighting the monsters he'd begun drawing. This was a much better solution than nuclear weapons, and so, so much cooler. He watched the news with interest as the first jaegers were built and tested, and then successfully deployed against the kaiju. Once the PPDC proved that this wasn't just a colossal waste of funds, plans were put in place to expand the program, to train more pilots and build better, safer jaegers and station them around the world's port cities. Gerard felt sure that this would work, and relaxed a bit, hope replacing some of his fear. 

A single late night phone call a few months later shattered his sense of peace. 

"Gerard?" Mikey said, his voice rough through the phone, like he was hyperventilating.

"Mikey? Are you ok? What happened?" Gerard asked, pausing the movie he'd been watching.

"No. I'm not ok. Fuck."

Gerard frowned, heart rate kicking up in fear. Mikey was definitely crying. 

"What is it? Talk to me."

"I just checked the mail. I didn't think, holy shit, Gerard, I didn't think this would happen to me."

"What, Mikey, shit, what did you get?" Gerard asked, comprehension slowly dawning as fear twisted further in his gut, but he hoped he was wrong.

"A draft letter. A motherfucking draft letter. Gerard! What am I going to do?!" Mikey's voice broke in a sob.

"Oh fuck, those goddamned bastards! No, no, no! Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. It has the PPDC seal and everything. My roommate, Frank, got one too." 

"Motherfucker."

Gerard took a long sip of his coffee, draining the cup. He was shaking, but at the same time, he felt like he wasn't really in his body, like he had stepped out of his life and into something unreal and that any moment he'd wake up and find that it was all a bad dream. He felt like he might puke.

"Shit, Mikey. How long do you have? Where are they sending you?"

"I'm supposed to report to them in one week, at an office downtown for a physical, then in two weeks at the Navy base for basic training."

"Fuck."

"Gerard, I'm scared. These kaiju are no joke. Shit, they're cool as fuck, but look at the last attacks before the jaegers. It took so much to take them down. I mean, someone has to pilot, but damn, why me?! I just want to make music, Gerard. Why me?" 

Together, they cried over his hopes and dreams and drank for courage. Gerard told his brother with full conviction that he could do anyfuckingthing and the kaiju should be running screaming from his kick ass little brother who was soon to be the best goddamn jaeger pilot they'd ever see. He only hung up when Mikey had exhausted himself and was ready to try and sleep. 

Gerard couldn't sleep. He couldn't draw, his hands were shaking too much. He smoked and drank, coffee and a little something stronger, as the sun made its way towards the horizon, an idea forming in his brain, slowly gaining strength and form. 

Mikey was afraid, but there was nothing that could be done. This wasn't something he could run and hide from, not without becoming a fugitive. It was shitty terrible luck to be drafted, but it was noble and right. He felt terrible that his sweet, wonderful, promising little brother was going to face the terrors of fucking boot camp. Boot camp for fuck's sake! How anti punk was that?! 

It wasn't fair. But worse than this shit luck was the fact that there was nothing that Gerard could do. He couldn't protect his little brother from the jock assholes he knew would be in basic, or the stupid fucking monsters from the deep. He'd be sitting at a desk, drawing cartoons that probably wouldn't even air on tv while his brother saved the world.

Fuck, why wasn't it him? Why couldn't he have gotten the letter and not Mikey. Not Mikey, anyone but Mikey. His brother had so much promise, so much life left to live, while Gerard was just spinning his wheels, miserable in what should have been his dream job. Why did Mikey have to do this, and not Gerard?

But wait, why couldn't Gerard? He sure as shit didn't want to. But why couldn't he join, be with Mikey? They couldn't take his brother from him. No siree. Not on his fucking life. If Mikey had to do this, he sure as shit wasn't going to do it alone. 

As the sun rose, Gerard changed into something half presentable and made for the train to Jersey. He didn't think to call into work. Fuck em. His brother needed him, cartoons could wait. 

A few hours later, he stormed the castle, aka the newly opened New Jersey PPDC office. His visit involved a lot of screaming, cursing, and pleading, but about two hours later when they showed him the door he clutched, white knuckled, a signed and stamped draft order with his name on it. 

He headed to his brother's apartment, and let himself in quietly. Mikey was curled up in a ball on the sofa, looking like hell. 

"Hey, Mikey. Hey, it's gonna be alright." Gerard said, settling down next to him.

Mikey sat up, eyes dark and sad, blinking at him, not understanding.

“Gerard?”

"Look. It's ok. We'll be ok." Gerard said, shoving his own letter at Mikey. 

Mikey took it with trembling hands, eyes widening in shock as he read it.

"Holy shit. How? Why? But, you don't want... You'll be in danger too..." Mikey sputtered.

Gerard leaned forward and gripped him in a tight hug, the paper crumpling between them, burying his face in his brother's prickly hair, to whisper in his ear.

"Couldn't let you do it alone, Mikes. I just couldn't. You've gotta be drift compatible to be a pilot you know. Who's more compatible with you than me? I’ve got you, ok? We can do this, together."


	2. The Only Hope For Me is You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray Toro just wants to make a difference, and as he sees it, the best way to do that is to become a pilot. Problem is, you can't pilot a Jaeger alone, you have to have a partner. The most promising pilot candidates, the Way brothers, decide they want him to have their backs, and he decides to trust them, both in the drift and in finding him a partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, writing kaiju fight scenes is hard. But I tried! So, sorry if it sucks.

"Boot camp is hell," whined Gerard.

"Shut the fuck up. You aren't the one that had to do an extra 50 push ups earlier today because someone tripped them!" Mikey complained right back at his brother.

"Dude, I think hell would be a vacation compared to boot camp," Ray said.

"True, very true. If I have to do one more goddamn sit up..." Gerard agreed.

They'd been in boot camp for a little over two weeks and Ray really did think that hell would have been easier. Most of the guys in their unit had been eager to be drafted and just a few weren't particularly happy to be there. Ray was glad he had his friends there to suffer through with him. The Way brothers were entertaining at least, though at the moment he wanted them to shut up so he could focus on reading his latest letter from Christa. 

Of course, they continued their playful bickering. Currently, they were all in their bunks awaiting lights out. Ray had the top bunk, Mikey the middle, and Gerard the bottom. Ray had just enough time to finish his letter when their Sergeant called lights out and then plunged them all into darkness. Some of the others in the barracks room weren't ready and a grumble of protest rose up. The Sgt just yelled for them to "shut the fuck up and stop being such whiny little girls and go the fuck to sleep." 

Ray groaned when he heard Gerard mutter about how sexist that was. Thankfully, the sergeant hadn't heard him. Gerard had been busted several times for talking back to the drill sergeants when they used sexist or homophobic language and it had cost him several hundred push ups and the scorn of a decent number of the guys in their unit. Gerard minded the push ups but didn't give a shit what the others thought. Ray could respect that. Personally, he agreed that all of the yelled insults and degradation's were often sexist or homophobic and that was bullshit, but he didn't think that complaining would do anything other than get him more push ups. God knows they were making him do too many of those as it was. 

Ray lay awake longer than usual, worn out from the exertions of the day but nervous about the next. They were going to spar to determine comparability and skill so the Sgts could get an idea of who would actually be a viable pilot candidate. He was afraid to be marked as a possible pilot, but he was even more afraid of not making it. If he had to be here, and he did thanks to the nice little PPDC draft letter, he wanted to make the largest impact he could. 

The next morning saw Ray, and the rest of his unit, out of bed before the sun had touched the horizon. The whole unit buzzed with anticipation, even as their drill Sgt had them stand shivering at attention for an hour in the predawn frost before dismissing them to the warmth of the mess hall. Ray was too nervous to eat. Instead, he downed a cup of the black sludge they tried to pass as coffee. Gerard was on his second cup by the time Ray sat down next to him at the crowded table, and was buzzing with nerves, fingers twitching as he pushed his scrambled eggs around his plate to form weird designs. Mikey was also on his second cup of sludge, but he wasn’t showing any signs of nerves, placidly shoveling down his eggs and toast. 

“How can you eat that stuff?” Ray asked. 

“I’m hungry.”

“It tastes like cardboard and styrofoam, and that’s on a good day.” Ray said, wrinkling his nose in distaste. 

Mikey just shrugged, shoveling another forkful before pushing a dry piece of toast his way. Ray took it with a frown, nibbling on it as he finished his coffee. By the time that disappeared, Mikey had a small plate of eggs and bacon for him, along with a fresh cup of coffee. Fighting on an empty stomach was no good. The food helped settle his nerves a bit, that and Mikey’s calmness. 

Rays nerves picked up again as they walked into the large hanger where they would spar to determine compatibility. The drill Sgts would observe, take notes, and then decide who would go on to the next test in the actual simulator. If the Sgts didn’t think a recruit had sufficient compatibility with anyone, they’d be assigned to service, mechanics, or command. Most of the unit wanted the coveted assignment of pilot. They had set up three sparing sections around the room and his unit was directed to the mat by the far wall while two other units filed in behind them to use the other stations. 

Ray wasn’t sure if he was thankful or not that he wasn’t asked to spar first. On one hand, his nerves were eating his stomach alive, on the other, he didn’t want to be the first in the spotlight. Instead, Gabe Saporta and Rob Hitt were called to the mat. Ray thought they did fairly well. Gabe was pretty intense, and fast on his feet, but Hitt was pretty solid, and they moved well together. Tyler Ran and Heath Saraceno were called up next, and also put on a good show. The next three matches were pretty sad, in Ray’s opinion, but the cadets sparring weren’t that talented though they all talked a big game. 

He watched closely, entranced, when Gerard and Mikey were called to the mat. The brother’s bowed to each other, staffs in hand, to start the match. They slowly circled each other, relaxed but focused, expressions carefully blank. 

“Twenty bucks says Mikey wins this round,” one of the guys said to him. 

Ray just rolled his eyes and ignored him, not wanting to miss this. Some of the other guys started heckling them, calling for them to “finish him!” or “fucking move, man,” and there was a “this dance can’t last all day princesses!” 

Mikey swung his staff first, sweeping it low towards his brother’s legs. Gerard bared his teeth in a feral grin as he moved to block the blow, the sound of wood on wood ringing in the small circle. Gerard wasted no time in returning the blow, resulting in a flurry of movement. They moved together, lightning fast, ducking and rolling, meeting and parrying blows, neither giving ground to the other. They were evenly matched. 

Out of the two, Mikey had a better stance and moved flawlessly between forms. Over the past few weeks, they’d spent countless hours learning martial arts and Mikey had taken to it like a duck to water, earning some of the highest scores. Gerard had taken a little more time as he got into shape, but he moved with a dancer’s fluid grace. He had flare, and enjoyed being in the spotlight. What he lacked in form he made up for with panache. He fought fiercely, and the brother’s closeness meant they anticipated each other’s movements. 

Gerard scored the first hit, catching his brother in a feint, moving for his side and redirecting at the last second to catch Mikey’s shin. Mikey grunted in surprise, stumbling for just a moment before shaking his head and pulling back into a defensive stance. Gerard tried to press his advantage but was beat back at each turn. 

Moments later, Mikey landed a blow, slipping around his brother, his staff connecting with Gerard’s shoulder with a solid thunk. Mikey showily spun his staff between his fingers in a quick movement as Gerard spun to face him. They circled each other again, determination radiating off them. It was clear to everyone watching that they were enjoying themselves immensely. A smile twitched along Mikey’s mouth as Gerard pressed in again, staff flying, meeting air as Mikey ducked and rolled. 

The next blow went to the younger brother in the form of a solid hit to Gerard’s side. He’d left himself open. More blocked blows followed and the next hit went to Gerard, leaving them 2 for 2. Gerard advanced on his brother in a flurry of movement and Mikey smoothly shifted from one defensive stance to another, with a few offensive moves slipped in. Ray saw the blow coming before it landed, as Mikey moved from one form to another, cleverly duped into opening himself up. Gerard had anticipated his move and slid into his open spot, flipping Mikey onto his back, staff hovering just above Mikey’s head. Ray let out a surprised huff of laughter as he realized that Mikey’s staff pressed against Gerard’s stomach. The Way brothers were going to make the cut, no doubt about it. They stood and bowed before taking their places on the floor again, amid cheers of congratulations on a match well fought and jealous glares. 

Ray didn’t have much time to dwell on it as he was called to the ring next, opposite Daniel Price. They’d practiced some together in the last week, and hung out in the mess hall. Ray pushed down his butterflies and accepted the staff Gerard pressed into his hand and the warm thump to his shoulder. He bowed to his opponent and the match began. It didn’t last long. Price descended on him, but his form was sloppy, making it easy to land a blow. The other recruit got one on him but Ray was able to land two more in quick succession. He’d barely broken a sweat.    

Their Sgt looked disappointed, and Dan was furious, barely glancing at Ray as he pushed his way out of the ring. They obviously hadn’t clicked. Ray tried not to feel too disappointed. 

Mikey squeezed his arm when he rejoined his friends. They watched two more quick matches before Mikey was called back onto the mat, this time with Gabe Saporta. Mikey smirked then schooled his face into an impassive mask before facing Gabe. Gabe had a hungry leer on his face that made Ray tense. 

Their match was entertaining. Both moved fluidly in a graceful, long limbed dance that had the air ringing with the sound of wood on wood. Gabe landed the first point, stopping his staff right over Mikey’s heart with a playful wink. Mikey smirked back and within moments his staff was pressed against Gabe’s balls, making the other man wince. Ray couldn’t help the pride that welled up in his chest, letting out a shout of approval that was echoed around the ring. 

After that, Gabe settled down and concentrated with a little more seriousness though he still had a grin on his face. The rest of the match flew past, ending with Gabe flat on his back, Mikey sitting on his groin, staff hovering over Gabe’s face. Several of the guys catcalled them while a few muttered things that had Gerard and Ray glaring daggers. There were more than a few titters when Gabe had to adjust himself in his pants after Mikey gave him a hand up. 

Shortly after, Ray was called again. His match against Tyler Ran went better than the last, but it still wasn’t great. Ran knew what he was doing, and had a solid grasp of his forms, moving fluidly, but they just didn’t quite click. Ray lost the match to him, two to three hits. Ran was gracious about it, realizing that they weren’t going anywhere together. Ray still felt disappointed. 

The morning flew past in a blur of matches, each lasting anywhere from 30 second to five minutes. Quite a few recruits were only called on the mat once or twice, Ray suspected this was to rule them out while letting them feel like they’d had a chance. There were a lot of unsuccessful matches. It was easy to see who the best fighters were, to tell who clicked and who didn’t. Some of the matches surprised them, like when Gabe Saporta fought his brother, Ricky, and it ended in about a minute with Ricky only landing one blow. Two of the guys that Ray was ready to write off ended up giving a great show. 

Ray was called out several times, and he quickly beat each of his opponents. He was undermatched, able to quickly assess the other’s weak spot. Each failed match stung, despite him being the winner. He didn’t want to just win, he wanted to find someone he could actually dance with, someone he could see standing next to him in the cockpit of a Jaeger. 

They broke for a light lunch, and Ray could barely stomach his food, anxiety pooling in his gut. He ate anyways, steeling himself for he rest of the afternoon. The matches after lunch seemed to be more focused. Less of the recruits were called. It seemed like the sergeants were trying to figure out shared pools of recruits that fought well together as they kept calling the same 10 or 15 recruits out in different combinations. 

Ray watched as Mikey fought Rob Hitt, but the two didn’t quite mesh. Ray was called out two matches later to face Hitt, with a similar result. He won, just barely, but they hadn’t fought together. Rob shrugged at him and patted his shoulder before moving to stand with Saraceno. 

Gerard was called to fight Gabe Saporta. That match was a delightful mess, the two fighting with bared teeth and sloppy forms, managing to block each other’s hits and find a chaotic rhythm all their own. They clicked, but Ray could tell it wasn’t in a way that the brass wanted to encourage. It had the potential for a lot of property damage. 

Finally, Ray was pulled into the ring, opposite Gerard. As they faced each other, Ray felt his nerves fading away. This was Gerard, who he’d known for forever. They didn’t need to circle each other, or assess the other’s form, they just moved together, in fluid harmony. Gerard ducked when Ray parried, moving into a tight defensive form, moving more precisely than he had all day. He quickly shifted into an offensive strike that had Ray sliding to his left side, the two moving back to back, circling around to trade places. It felt right. 

Ray used his longer reach to gain the first point, stopping his staff before it hit Gerard’s arm. Gerard huffed out a surprised laugh, then advanced on him in a flurry of movement that had intimidated or thrown off quite a few of the other recruits. It didn’t phase Ray, he was just as fast, blocking the hits while making offensive moves of his own. Gerard managed the next hit, staff grazing Ray’s right side. Ray got him back a few seconds later, staff hovering above Gerard’s head. They moved together, while searching for the other’s weak spots. Gerard landed another hit, after crowding up close into Ray’s space, slipping past his defensive move. A few moves later and Gerard struck again, ending the match. 

Ray found himself disappointed again, though this time for an entirely different reason. He hadn’t wanted the match to end. Sparring with Gerard had felt right, perfectly smooth, like puzzle pieces fitting together, or like two notes finding a tight harmony. But he knew, without a doubt, that while their match definitely confirmed that they were compatible, it was nothing next to how Gerard and Mikey were together. Still, he pushed back the disappointment and smiled when Gerard clapped him on the back, exclaiming that their match was “fucking awesome, man!” Still, he found he couldn’t quite concentrate on the next two matches. 

He’d just pushed his disappointment away when he was called again, to spar with Mikey. He squashed the nervous flutter of hope that rose in his chest and stepped onto the mat, accepting the staff thrust in his direction. Mikey smiled before bowing, and Ray found himself turning off his worries to focus on the match. 

Mikey Way fought with a rhythm. It wasn't the steady beat of a drum, but the smooth sliding counterpoint of a bass. Ray grinned, knowing exactly how to work with that. He matched Mikey’s solid stances, matched him and pushed him on, not letting him hesitate for even a second as they flowed from offensive to defensive, trading blows and blocking hits. Mikey stepped forward, staff hovering above his shoulder, hit. Ray stepped back, luring Mikey in, defensive flowing into offensive, blocked. He stepped forward, driving the advantage, staff low, stopping by the younger Way’s shin, hit. Mikey spun around him, settling into a more solid defense, Ray moved as well to cover his open back, moving into an offensive pose. 

They moved back and force at a steady pace, unhurried, breathing even though sweat dripped from them, muscles burning with exertion. Ray won the match, the longest he’d fought all day. That hardly mattered though. More importantly, they’d flowed together. Staff stopped just next to Mikey’s arm, Ray started when their Sgt called the match, and some of the guys let out appreciative cheers. Ray had forgotten anyone else was in the room. 

Mikey stepped out of the ring with him, gently elbow checking him, if such a move can be gentle when one has such fucking bony elbows, nudging Ray to stand with him and Gerard.

“That was fucking incredible, guys!” Gerard said, positively beaming at them.

Ray ducked his head, cheeks warm with embarrassment, “Thanks. Mikey’s easy to spar with.” 

“Yeah, that was pretty awesome. It felt right.” Mikey said, smile on his face.

Any attempts at further conversation were thwarted as the next two were called into the ring. Ray was called in once more before the session ended, to spar with Gabe Saporta. It wasn’t bad, better than most of his matches, but not as good as when he’d sparred with the Way brothers. Ray was able to track Gabe’s fast movements, and stayed steady in the face of his frenetic energy. Gabe actually did have a good grasp of the forms, he was just long limbed and fluid, and liked to put up a playful, carefree facade that Ray easily saw through. Ray preferred a more serious fight, so while they were pretty evenly matched in terms of skill, he knew they wouldn’t be put together in a cockpit anytime soon. 

They didn't get a chance to rest after sparring as they were sent straight to the showers. Ray used the time under the warm spray to run through his matches, trying not to stress out. He’d done well with Gerard and Mikey, but he knew that couldn’t work out. They were looking for two sets of two pilots to a Jaeger, and while the Way bros had fought well with others, Ray just hadn’t really clicked with anyone else. The best he’d done was in his match with Gabe, but that just wouldn’t work long term, and Gabe had done better with others. 

As he shuffled to class, he tried to resign himself to a different MOS. He was smart, doing well in his classes, and he knew his scores on the mat and in the field were high, high enough to qualify him for a position in the control room. The more he thought about it, the more he could see himself in the chain of command, maybe as a handler for the pilots, or as an underling for one of the generals. 

Or maybe he could ask to be put in more medical classes, and become part of the med team. People were bound to get hurt on base, and even if a city was able to evacuate there would still be people hurt in the process. He could do some real good as a medic. Sure, he wouldn’t be seen as a hero, but he wasn’t in it for the glory. He just wanted to do the most to help.

The day seemed to drag on, worse than usual. Ray tried to keep himself occupied with paying attention in his classes, but his mind kept wandering. When their Sgt had them run a mile with their packs, he tried to focus on the solid slap of his feet on the pavement, but every time he glimpsed someone he’d sparred with he was pulled back into his thoughts of not being a pilot. 

The matches were all anyone could talk about in between classes, and drills, and at dinner. By the time he’d gotten his food, the seats around the Way bros were taken, so he walked past them to the next table, only for Gerard to call him back, kicking Saraceno off the bench to make room next to him. The other recruit grumbled, but obliged when Gabe and Ricky gamely made space for him on their side of the table. Ray took the vacated space, sending Gerard a thankful smile.

Gabe was deep in the middle of an animated retelling of his match with Hitt, a retelling that definitely exaggerated his badassery. 

“It was fuckin’ awesome! We’re totally going to the simulator tomorrow!” Gabe said, wrapping up his tale with a smile. 

“What about you and Ricky?” one of the other guys asked around a mouthful of chow, “You guys did a shit job out there, aren’t brothers supposed to be, y’know, more in tune and shit? Like the Ways?”

Gabe and Ricky just laughed. 

“Nah, man. I don’t wanna be stuck in a tin can with this asshole.” Gabe said, affectionately poking his brother’s shoulder. 

“Hell no. Anyways, I don’t wanna be a pilot, I wanna be in command.” Ricky said with a determined shake of his head. 

Ray envied him his sureness. The conversation jumped around the table, as the guys made guesses and predictions on who’d be paired with whom in the simulator the next day. He mostly kept quiet, shoveling down his tasteless food. 

“I bet they’ll have Gabe drift with Mikey,” one of the guys said.

“Oh, I’d drift with you any day, MikeyWay,” Gabe said, leaning back in his seat with a leer, making a show of pushing his fork around in his mouth. 

Mikey let out a huff of amusement, arching an eyebrow at him as he chomped down on his own fork. 

“Why would they, when he’s got Gerard?” Ran asked.

“Yeah, Mikey, there’s no way they’re not making you and your brother pilots together,” one of the others said, to a chorus of agreement.

They were right. Ray was done with his tasteless food, and the conversation, abruptly standing up, trying to keep his face safely neutral as he grabbed his tray and strode away. He fought the tug of disappointment in his gut, and the sting of tears in his eyes as he replaced his tray and headed for the door. 

A hand on his arm stopped him after he’d taken a few steps out of the mess hall.

“Hey, wait up, Ray.” 

He stopped, turning to find Mikey pushing his glasses back up his nose, a look of concern on his face. 

“Hey, Mikey, what’s up?” Ray asked, wondering if the others were upset that he’d rushed off.

“You’re being too hard on yourself, man,” Mikey said, cutting straight to the chase, “Stop worrying about tomorrow. You’ll be in the simulation trials too.” 

Ray pursed his lips into a thin frown, looking at Mikey intently, trying to decide if he was being pitied or if Mikey really believed what he was saying. He looked earnest, face as calm as ever, but with his jaw set in determination, gaze cool and sure. 

“Thanks, Mikey.” Ray said, appreciating his friend’s confidence, but not sharing it.

“I mean it. You’re fucking amazing, man. You’ve got some of the highest scores in our classes and you’ve done a great job on the field. They’d be stupid not to make you a pilot.” 

“Yeah, that’s great but I can’t pilot a whole Jaeger by myself.” Ray said, head drooping.

“Well, no, that would be stupid.” Mikey said, tone patient. 

Ray was sure he was missing something. That or Mikey was.

“I don’t know if you noticed, Mikey, but I didn’t do all that well with anyone but you and Gerard. And you guys are going to be paired together, everyone knows that.” 

“They want to pair up Jaegers, remember? We want you, Ray. We’ll find you a co-pilot. We trust you, you’ve been our friend for forever, dude. You’re fucking badass.” Mikey said.

Ray stared at him in shock, hope blooming in his chest despite his best efforts to squash it down. His brain struggled to wrap itself around the thought that Mikey and Gerard, who were the best matched in their whole unit, hell, the whole base, wanted him at their back. Sure, he’d known them for years, and he and Mikey had hung out a lot back in Bellville, and they’d mostly stuck together when they figured out they were all going to basic together. But this? This was serious.

“Yeah?” Ray asked.

“Yeah.” Mikey said, a smile on his face. 

“Ok.”

“Don’t stress. Now come on, we’ve got like five minutes to get to our lecture.”

 

….

Mikey was right. The next morning as they stood shivering in the predawn air, when their Sgt called out the names of the recruits who would report to the simulation room after breakfast, Ray’s name was on the list. It took everything in him to stay at attention and not to sag with relief. 

“Told you so.” Mikey muttered, still shivering, as the brothers slipped next to him in the head of the line for sludgy coffee ten minutes later, ignoring the protests from the guy standing behind Ray.

“Don’t gloat, Mikes, it’s unbecoming on you,” Gerard sniped, still half asleep and grumpy. 

“Get your coffee and stop bitching, Gee.” Mikey said, rolling his eyes before turning to Ray, “Ignore him, he’s excited for you too.” 

Gerard gave a confirming noise as he downed half a cup of scalding coffee. Or, knowing him, it could have just been a groan of happy surprise that he’d finally gotten his hands on his life’s blood or his body's indication of brain cells finally starting to come online for the day, who knew. Ray decided to take the positive view.

“Thanks, man,” he said, smiling warmly at the brothers, letting himself dare to hope. 

Gerard refilled his cup before giving him a comforting pat on the arm.

“It’s cool. We like you, Toro. Wanna keep you around,” Gerard said before shuffling on in the line towards the food. 

Despite the lingering chill, Ray felt warm. He found himself starting to believe that this would work out. 

The simulator trials didn’t begin quite how Ray had expected. He reported to H Building at 0800 along with the Way bros, Saporta, Hit, Ran, and Saraceno. He’d never actually been in H Building before as it was the science building, but he was expecting to be taken to a high tech room with simulator stations, not another cramped classroom. Gerard stopped in the doorway in surprise, but he relaxed when Mikey gave a minuscule shrug of his shoulders. Ray figured Mikey knew what was up, and if he was ok with it, he might as well go with the flow, it’d be alright. 

Relaxing his shoulders, he sat down between Gerard and Hitt, rolling his eyes as Gabe slipped into the seat next to Mikey, attempting to flirt in his uniquely obnoxious way. They weren’t the only ones in the room, a few guys from each unit joined them, about 30 in all. He recognized some from around the base or the mess hall, and a few from the old music scene. Frank Iero nodded to him from his spot at the front of the classroom as they all settled in. The brass brought them to order pretty quickly after that. 

 

“Good morning, recruits,” Sgt Johnson said, voice booming through the small space. 

“Good morning, sir,” they chorused.

“You’re all here this morning because you want to be a Jaeger pilot. If you are in this room, today, you are among the best candidates currently on our base. You’ve earned your way here through your diligence and skill. This is the most coveted position in the PPDC, but it’s not an easy road. Not all of you will make it. If you do become a pilot, you will be on the front lines, acting as our first line of defense against the kaiju. To do this you must have courage, determination, ability, intelligence, and most importantly, a partner. No one can safely pilot a Jaeger alone, the neural load is too great.”

Ray sighed. He was pretty confident in everything but having a partner. 

“Yesterday, your units participated in sparring drills so that your commanding officers could determine who you might be most compatible with. Today, I’m going to prepare you for the simulations to test your drift compatibility, and by the end of the lesson some of you will have the chance to drift together.”

A noisy wave of excitement, whispered “hell yeah’s” and “fucking finally’s” ran through the room. The Sgt frowned at them, willing them back into respectful silence. 

“Drifting together is no small thing. When you drift with someone, you share your mind with them. Your co-pilot will see pieces of your past, important parts of yourself. While sharing headspace, you will share thoughts. This will help you fight more effectively, but it can be overwhelming for some. For the drift to be successful, you cannot hold yourself back. This is why compatibility is so important, the best pilots are the ones who trust their partner’s, who aren’t afraid to open themselves up and share their minds.” 

Ray thought that this made sense, but at the same time it made him feel nervous. Trust wasn’t an easy thing to give away, not to just anyone. He listened intently as Sgt Johnson gave them a basic rundown of the science behind sharing head-space, furiously scribbling down notes. The Sgt showed them diagrams of how drifting affects the brain, displaying scans with sections lit up, pointing out the memory centers being triggered, explaining how neural pathways would be forged and reforged. Ray didn’t completely understand all of it, but it impressed upon them that this was not something to be taken lightly. 

Sgt Johnson set their expectations on what it might feel like, though he warned that different people felt the drift with different intensities. He warned them not to “chase the rabbit” as they established a neural handshake with a co-pilot. Ray could see how the temptation to fall into a memory might be great, but he was determined to avoid it. 

Sgt. Johnson also lectured them on the effects of drifting, explaining that while a single drift wouldn’t have lasting impact unless the pilots had a particularly strong connection, drifting together repeatedly for long periods of time strengthened pilots connections. He told them that they could expect to pick up memories and skills from their co-pilot, and possibly even share dreams, as their minds sought to drift in the collective subconscious as they slept.

After this info dump, they had to take a quiz to show that they were actually paying attention. Ray was pretty sure that he’d passed.   

 

Actually using the simulators to drift came next. The Sgt explained that they would be paired off into the four simulator pods based on their evaluations from the previous day. Once a neural connection had been successfully made then they would go through a simulation in which they would fight a kaiju. They would face one of four kaiju, all level 1 beasts based on the specs of some of the first kaiju defeated. They were told to focus on working together to take down the beast. 

Ray listened carefully as the Sgt continued his explanation, telling them that not all of them would have good enough connections to continue on and might be dropped. He warned them not to be angry about this or blame their peers if they were dropped from consideration as only a limited number of pilots were needed. Sgt Johnson explained that if they did not make the cut they would most likely be placed in pilot support roles. One of which was working as a facilitator to the pilots, being in their ear and guiding them through their fight. He explained that for the rest of their time on base, those recruits would be specially trained to run the simulation units. 

They moved from the classroom, taking the stairs up to the third floor of the science building to the simulation room. The room was large, spanning half the building, with four stations set up almost like sound booths, cordoned off from each other with glass walls, with a technical station in front of each. Screens were set up on each to display the mock kaiju. There was room outside of each so people could watch. 

Sgt. Johnson showed them how to log into the simulation system, explaining that their hours of practice would be logged and their statistics would be reviewed each evening by their CO if they continued towards becoming a pilot. He called Gerard and Mikey forward and had them log in, which they did with ease. He then used them to demonstrate how to hook up to the simulator, having them step into the rig and strap on the foot and leg pieces, slipping their arms into the adjustable hand pieces, pushing them into the spinal column, adjusting it to their respective heights before slipping the headsets onto them, making sure that the base of each was snug against the back of their necks. He had them move, checking their ease of movement against the heavy equipment, stopping to adjust Mikey’s spinal column piece. Ray thought they looked badass. 

Once Sgt. Johnson was confident that they were in the rig properly, he moved behind the control panel, counting them down to initiating the neural handshake. Mikey and Gerard looked at each other before closing their eyes as the countdown hit 0. Ray, and everyone else, could tell when the connection was made, even without the countdown, as the brain scans on the command center screen lit up, bright red flashing back and forth between the two brains on the screen. The flashes were incredibly fast, flickering from their memory centers to their communication centers. The flashes stopped abruptly and the scans glowed bright blue with huge sections of red. 

“Neural handshake established, holding strong, boys.” Sgt. Johnson said, a measure of pride in his voice. 

Both Way brothers rolled their heads, shoulders scrunched up, cracking their necks, perfectly in sync. It was awesome and kind of creepy, seeing them both execute Mikey’s nervous habit at the same time. Their eyes opened and they grinned at each other. As they did, the communication centers of their brains flashed on the monitor.

“Oh shit. The Way bros have finally discovered telepathy. Fuuuuck.” Gabe breathed next to him, his voice filled with awe. 

Ray chuckled, shaking his head.

“Keep it in your pants, Saporta.” Hitt muttered, rolling his eyes. 

They were kept from further insults as Sgt. Johnson called out three more pairs of recruits, sending them off with the other three Sergeants to the other stations. Gabe was one of the ones pulled away, along with Saraceno. 

Ray stayed where he was and watched Mikey and Gerard. They moved together through some of the martial arts forms at the direction of Sgt. Johnson before he started up the simulation. Watching the brain scans on the command screen was almost as fascinating as watching the brothers move in perfect sync. Ray couldn’t help but be impressed by the small blinking 95% that showed up in the drift synergy field. That was exceptionally high. 

Their fight wasn’t perfect, but there was no doubt that the brothers were going to make it as pilots. They moved as one against the beast, fighting with skill. Mikey’s technical prowess and Gerard’s tactical mind made for a formidable force. The simulated kaiju didn’t stand a chance. 

After they successfully completed the simulation and unhooked from the machine, they were drenched in sweat. Sgt. Johnson gave them both water bottles and directed them to sit at the row of chairs that was set up at the back of the room before he called the next two recruits. Ray shifted on his feet for a moment before deciding to follow them. 

“Gerard! Mikey! That was incredible guys!” he said as they looked up at his approach.

“Thanks, that felt fucking fantastic.” Gerard said, waving one hand, his lopsided smile genuine. 

“There’s no way they’re not going to make you guys pilots after that,” Ray said. 

Mikey pushed his hand through his hair, brushing the damp strands out of his face.

“I goddamn hope so. That was amazing. I’m so full of adrenaline right now, I could run a fucking mile with both of our packs on.” Mikey said, nudging his brother’s leg with his foot.

“Totally. I feel completely turned on,” Gerard said. 

“Dude!” Mikey said, wrinkling his nose.

“No! No, not like that!” Gerard said with a laugh, shoving at his brother. “Come on, don’t be gross. I mean, I feel wired, like I could do anything.”

“Yeah?” Ray asked.

“Fuck yeah.” Mikey said. “Drifting is awesome. Just wait, you’ll see.”

“It was like I was me, and Mikey, all at the same time. Fucking awesome.” Gerard agreed.

Ray got his chance to experience drifting soon enough. One of the Sergeants called his name, and then Gerard’s, motioning them to join him at the first sim station. They trade places with Frank Iero and Shaun Simon, congratulating them on a good run. They’d been standing close enough to catch the last half of their sim run, and they’d done a fantastic job. 

Ray took the left side and Gerard took the right, accepting the Sgt’s help in adjusting the pieces as Frank was a bit shorter than he was. The rig felt heavy, but it moved smoothly. The Sgt assured Ray that with practice it would feel like a second skin. With butterflies dancing in his stomach, Ray signaled that he was ready. He took in a deep breath and let it out with the countdown. 

Even with the morning’s instructions, the neural handshake took Ray by storm. The combination of his memories and emotions hit him like a truck, flowing over and around him in a violent rush. Gerard’s joined his own, swamping them. He opened himself up to Gerard, letting the memories and feelings flood by unchecked, trusting his friend with them. He could tell that Gerard held no harsh judgement for him, just understanding. Ray was careful not to latch onto any of them, though it was tempting when he caught half forgotten memories of a more normal time. 

It was even more tempting to grab onto Gerard’s, as he finally got a true glimpse into his friend’s head. Gerard’s emotions were even more violent than his own, but Ray weathered the wave of depression, the dark feeling of otherness, the sharp stinging pricks of hopelessness. His emotions weren’t all negative though, as his happy memories swirled past, too fast to fully grasp the details, still, Ray felt euphoric swells of joy, and laughter bubbled up in his throat. The rush of the neural handshake seemed to go on forever, but it was over in a moment as the waves of memory and emotion washed them up unto the shores of their shared headspace. 

“Neural handshake strong, and holding.” The Sgt’s voice broke through, sounding distant, like they were hearing it from another room.

It echoed softly in his head, and it took Ray a moment to realize that was because Gerard had heard him as well.

_ <Holy shit.> _ Ray thought, awed.

< _ Fucking awesome, right Toro? _ >

Ray could hear Gerard’s thought as if it were his own. Having a second presence in his mind was weird, but not in a bad way. He trusted Gerard, knew he wouldn’t pry or take advantage, wouldn’t judge. It was comforting, actually, knowing that he wouldn’t be going into the fight alone. His head felt full, open, and he understood what Gerard and Mikey had said earlier, when they said they felt like taking on the world. His self doubt crept in for a moment and the thought flitted through his head of whether having Mikey in his head was better for Gerard.

< _ It was more familiar, but this is good too. I trust you too, man. No one else I’d rather have at my back.> _

Ray relaxed and let Gerard’s sense of confidence wash over him, energizing him. 

At the Sgt’s instruction they shifted through a few positions together, the motions smooth and fluid, but strong. Satisfied, the Sgt started the simulation, and the screens around them showed water, which they were told was off the coast of LA, and their prey emerged. Even though he knew it was just a simulation, it felt real, as adrenaline pumped through their veins. Together they ran towards the beast, their feet moving in perfect step. 

Ray wasn’t sure whose decision it was to raise their right fists, the thought seemed to come to them both at the same time. He didn’t take the time to worry about it. The impact sent the beast stumbling back. Gerard was eager to press forward but Ray wondered if it would be better to start in a defensive stance. Gerard wordlessley agreed, and they shifted into a basic defensive stance that would let them shift into any number of offensive moves, depending on how the beast reacted. They noted that it was quick to turn, having a smaller, long body, with a long, wickedly barbed tail. They were in unspoken agreement to stay aware of the tail. 

It attacked again, rearing up to rake them with it’s claws. Together they blasted at its stomach, catching it off guard. Their Sgt told them that it had been named Megladon, and Ray didn’t question it as the creature opened it’s mouth to roar in anger, showing off a mouthful of sharp, jagged teeth. They ducked and rolled as it snapped at them, pressing forward, trying to keep it off kilter. As it moved around, flank a heavy impenetrable wall, they braced for the impact of its tail, grabbing the appendage and straining together to roll the kaiju onto its side, exposing its more vulnerable belly. 

Ray and Gerard worked together like a dream, like they were harmonizing. They listened to each other, both offering suggestions, taking turns taking the lead, trusting each other’s skills. Ray had the better technical expertise, and brought more strength to the fight, where Gerard was better at strategizing, seeing openings before they opened, moving with speed. Together, they lured the kaiju into its own defeat, angering and maneuvering it into revealing its soft spot. Together they pummeled the beast, striking hard and fast.

Once Megladon had sunk down into the waves, they let out a whoop of joy, jumping up and down together. Their joy in the triumph ricochet between them, doubled, quadrupled. Distantly, they could hear Mikey join in as well, and together they turned to look at him, heart’s swelling with joy and pride as they smiled at him, including him in their victory. 

When the neural connection severed, Ray felt empty for a few second. He felt alone. He realized that he might not get the chance to drift with Gerard again if he couldn't find a copilot and the thought sent lead into his stomach. He shoved the thought away, putting on a smile as he climbed out of the rig and stumbled into Gerard’s warm hug.

Mikey was waiting for him with a hug as well which Ray gladly accepted. 

“You guys were awesome!” Mikey said, wrapping Gerard up in a hug as well. 

“It felt awesome!” Gerard said, grinning at Ray. 

“You had a really fast time and a great drift percentage, 89%.” Mikey said as they moved back to let the next duo in. 

“89%! Really?!” Ray asked, shocked. 

“I told you you didn’t have anything to worry about, Ray.” Mikey said with a wide grin. 

They milled around together a bit, watching the matchups with some of their friends. They agreed that Gabe and Saraceno had a great run together. Once that match ended, the Sgt pulled Saraceno out but asked Gabe to stay, calling Mikey in to join him. Their neural handshake went well, peaking at 85%. 

Ray didn’t get a chance to watch their match, however, as he was called to the next comm-pod to drift with Robb Hitt, who had just finished with Tyler Rann. This time the rig didn’t feel as heavy as he new that burden would soon be shared. The neural handshake was as much of a rush. Robb’s memories felt different from Gerard’s, they were warmer and felt a little more dull, further away. Ray didn’t try to chase them, or his own, and the connection was quickly established. The voice in their ear told them they were steady at 82%, and Ray could feel the difference. He could feel Robb in his head, and could feel the other’s mind, but communicating was a little different, he had to concentrate more to push thoughts and feelings. 

This time, the fight began in the middle of Tokyo, against a smaller, winged kaiju with razor sharp claws. They had to chase it down, careful not to cause unnecessary damage to the city or make a mess of kaiju blue as the blood was worse than toxic. It took a bit of time, effort, and co-ordination, but together they were able to use the laser sword to sever a wing, grounding the beast. A few punches and and blasts later, and the kaiju was down for good. 

Ray didn’t get a chance to rest before he was matched with Rann, who switched out with Hitt. Similarly, they were able to reach a weak but working drift. Rann was a good fighter, and they were able to work together. With a bit of teamwork and a lot of sweat they were able to down their kaiju. 

After their match, Ray and Rann joined Mikey at the next station, watching Gerard and Gabe. They were midfight against a kaiju with big teeth and claws, and a big armored body. It kind of reminded Ray of a big turtle, except it was more agile, and there was of course, the teeth and claws to content with. Like a turtle, it was slow moving. Still, the guys weren’t having an easy time of it, leaving a path of destruction through downtown Miami as they alternated between punching and blasting it’s armored back, trying to avoid it’s snapping jaws and razor claws. The kaiju and their jaeger crashed through buildings as they struggled to get access to it’s more vulnerable underbelly. With some effort, they did, landing some fatal blasts from their Jaeger’s hand cannons, but they had pulled in too close and the beast’s sharp claws punctured the comm-pod, making their screens flash red. They both let out an impressive stream of curses. 

“We fuckin’ tried, man.” Gerard said, shaking his head, after he’d extracted himself from the rig.

“Hey, we killed the bastard. We fuckin’ died, but it went down with us, so...” Gabe said, shrugging his shoulders and giving him a wry smile. 

Ray felt his stomach twist up with nervousness when the Sgt called him and Mikey in to replace Gabe and Gerard. Mikey waved him in first, giving him the pick of the stations, and he chose the left one. Once in their rigs, they signaled that they were ready, and the neural handshake began. Ray thought he would be more prepared, after drifting with Hitt and Rann. He was wrong. 

The neural handshake with Mikey was more intense. He felt his own memories well up around him, interspersed with Mikey’s, many of them looking and feeling so much like Gerard's, just from a slightly different viewpoint. Many of them were familiar, glimpses of concerts, diners, the corner store that was always open in the wee hours of the morning. 

They saw their first meeting, at that little diner late at night, Mikey with his chin up high to see through his glasses, perched precariously on the tip of his nose. He could feel Mikey's curiosity and then admiration of him, as well as his own curiosity. He felt his own excitement echo back at him as their past selves started discussing the Smashing Pumpkins. Ray reached out, grabbing Mikey's hand, mentally warning him not to chase the memory as it seemed to solidify around them. Mikey squeezed his hand and sent back a mental agreement. The memory slipped away, followed by others. They let the storm of memories and emotions flow by untouched. 

To his surprise, Mikey’s mind felt incredibly similar to Gerard’s. Ray hadn’t expected that as Gerard, Tyler, and Robb’s minds had all felt incredibly different. Like his brother’s, Mikey’s mind was vast and cool with undertones of darkness and otherness contrasted with pockets of deep joy. Mikey’s joy was closer to the surface, less hidden, though Ray knew it was no less guarded. The brother’s minds were complex but Ray felt comfortable with them. He trusted them. Ray’s observations were intuitive, taking mere moments to form, but Mikey caught them in the drift anyways.

_ <Your mind is deep too, but it’s warm, comfortable.> _

The thought surprised Ray, but pleased him, and he opened his eyes with a smile. Together, they raised their right arms, hands curling into into strong fists, and brought their left feet forward, settling into a defensive position. Drifting with Mikey was effortless. Ray didn’t need to “speak” his thoughts for them to get across, he just needed to feel the intention, and Mikey would get it. They found that the reverse was true as well as they moved on the same wavelength, half formed thoughts and intentions bouncing back between them as they acted with one mind. 

Their simulation pit them against the same kaiju Ray had fought with Gerard, Megalodon. This time, they faced it on the black sands of a beach in Hawaii. They could just see the scaly barbs that ran down the creatures back as it sped towards them in the water, and they strode towards it as the Sgt told them their objectives: Keep it away from civilians, kill it without spilling too much blood, and with minimal damage to the surrounding area. Easier said than done, but Ray liked a challenge. Or was it Mikey that liked a challenge? Ray didn’t care, either way, he was game. 

Arm outstretched, they let out a blast from the hand cannon, resulting in a spray of salt water, and an angry kaiju rearing up, exposing it’s marginally softer underside. They didn’t pass by the opportunity to let out a blast from the main canon, blasting the creature back. Working together, they advanced on it in the shallow water, working to avoid its razor sharp claws as they corralled it down shore, away from the city. Megalodon was fast, and tried to dart past them, but they grabbed it by the long barbs protruding from it’s back and flung it back down the shore, blasting at it as it rolled across the black sand, struggling to get to its feet.

Mikey was happy to let Ray call the shots, and Ray relied on his smoothness with the martial art forms, trusting him to guide them in using the best offensive and defensive moves as they stalked and parried with their prey. He wanted to push it further down the shore and out of the water, pin it against the tall, rocky outcroppings, and blast and punch it into submission. The kaiju seemed to guess at his plan, and tried to evade them, moving out into the water and trying to slip past them. Ray and Mikey were patient, however, and they were resilient, feeding each other patience and encouragement, tirelessly heading off the beast in maneuvers that showed their strength and preserved their energy. Their Sgt however, wasn’t as patient, and urged them to finish off the kaiju as he didn’t have all day to watch them play. 

With a sigh, and a strong determination to win this battle, they pushed forward, meeting the kaiju as it rose up on it’s back legs, hitting it with a series of hard punches that landed across its face, forcing it back down the beach with an angry cry. When it tried to slip into deeper waters they blasted at it’s head, forcing it back, ducking and rolling to avoid the tail swiping towards them. They grappled with it, landing punches and blasts as they tried to avoid the claws and teeth that sought to hurt them. With it pinned down beneath them on the shore, they unloaded the main cannon, sending a brilliant blast of laser light that had them staggering back in their rigs. It caught the kaiju in the throat, blasting through it. Megalodon gave a strangled cry and tried to stagger back up to its feet, but a few blasts from their hand cannons to it’s eyes had it laying still once more. 

“Good job, boys. He’s down, with minimal damage due to Kaiju Blue, no civilians harmed, and your suit is still at 75% functionality. Good neural handshake, 89%. Congrats, now get outta my rig.” The Sgt’s voice boomed out, sounding bored.

Ray couldn’t help but laugh, feeling like he could take on the world. Mikey’s joy echoed through his head, with a little tendril of excitement that felt weirdly like Gerard, as they laughed and whooped together. He felt almost drunk with their excitement, though the feeling faded a bit when the neural connection was severed. 

Gerard was there when they strode out of the simulator pod, catching both of them up into a hug. For a moment, Ray felt like he belonged, and it felt sweet, like home. Then he remembered, again, that they had each other, and didn’t need him. He felt like all of the air had been pulled from his lungs and replaced with acid. Mikey recoiled as if he’d been burned, and Gerard frowned at him, and with a start, Ray realized that he could feel their emotions, faint, but there, in the back of his head. They were concerned, and a little hurt, Mikey was offended even.

He stared at them, open mouthed with shock, emotions flipping wildly between elation since he could feel them in his mother fucking head, and despair since that wouldn’t actually mean much if they couldn’t pilot together, to embarrassment. He let them lead him towards the back of the room. 

“Ray, calm down man, it’s ok.” Gerard said, laying a hand on his arm. 

“You’re going to be our co-pilot. Just trust us.” Mikey said from his other side.

Ray took a deep breath, feeling their confidence, their sureness that this would all work out. He still felt a frisson of fear that he’d be told no, that he’d be pulled from the pilot program, but he trusted them. He nodded, forcing a smile. 

“Ok. I just, I don’t want to hope and be disappointed.” Ray tied to explain.

“It’s gonna work out. We’ll find you a pilot, someone that works with all of us.” Gerard promised. 

Ray decided to believe him. He was put in the simulator a few more times that morning, though the Way brothers weren’t. His run with Gabe Saporta was the most challenging, but ended up being successful. The others were weak drifts, with Ray bearing the brunt of the fight, though they downed the kaiju each time. The rest of the morning flew by, and after lunch they were sent back out to the field to run drills and then to the classrooms. His worries kept rearing their heads, but when they did Gerard and Mikey seemed to sense it and would send his a reassuring smile or bump his shoulder. 

That next day after breakfast, while their unit had time scheduled for martial arts, their Sgt pulled some of them aside, individually or in groups, sending them to the commandant’s office. Ray noticed, nervously, that the guys being pulled were the ones that had been present the day before for the pilot’s training. Some came back looking triumphant, but most came back with disappointment written on their faces. Ray recognized them as ones who had chased the RABIT or just hadn’t drifted well with anyone. 

Gerard and Mikey were eventually pulled out of the room, leaving Ray the only one from the pilot’s class not called. He felt his stomach sink, and he lost his concentration, fumbling through his form and earning a reprimand from their instructor. His nerves only increased when his Sgt pulled him aside fifteen minutes later, sending him to the commandant's office. The Way brother’s hadn’t returned yet, but he half expected, and hoped, to run into them on his way there. 

Ray didn’t. Instead, they were waiting for him in the commander’s office, standing at parade rest, looking relaxed and confident. He could feel their confidence in the back of his mind, as well as an odd fissure of excitement. Ray sharply saluted the officer, not letting any of his nervousness show on his face.

“At ease, recruit. Ray Toro, correct?” Commander Blake said, leaning forward and steepling his fingers.

“Yes sir.” Ray said, relaxing into parade rest, but still feeling tense.

“You’ve earned exemplary marks, son, both on the field and in the classroom. You have a keen eye for strategy, and you’re both strong and fast. By the numbers, you’re one of the best contenders for pilot in your unit.” 

“Thank you, sir.” Ray said, too nervous to smile, feeling like there was a hidden “but” about to come.

“However, you haven’t had much luck in drift compatibility.” the commander said, staring straight at him, speculation in his eyes. “As you’re aware, a single cadet is unable to pilot a Jaeger by himself, the load is too great. We’re looking for potential cadets that have a strong connection with another cadet to send to the Jaeger Academy. Not all of the cadets we send will make it to become pilots, but those that don’t will be made into officers. 

“Despite your trouble in finding a drift partner, you’ve shown great ability to become a pilot. You’ve drifted quite successfully with the recruits Way and Way, and they have expressed interest in having you go to the Academy with them, in the hopes that you will man a Jaeger that works with them. I’ve looked at the footage from your drifts, and you do work well with both of them. It would be a shame to waste your potential, son, so I have elected to keep you in the Academy consideration pool for now.” 

“Thank you, sir.” Ray said, pushing the words out with difficulty, as he was having trouble breathing. 

Hope was blooming in his chest, watered by the tears forming in his eyes, that he quickly blinked away. Mikey and Gerard looked smugly satisfied next to him. The officer just chuckled darkly, leaning back to smik at them.

“Don’t thank me yet, Toro. You still have a shit ton of work to do to earn your way into the job of pilot. It’s not an easy thing, most don’t make it at the Academy. I’d like you to continue testing drift compatibility with other recruits from outside of your unit. I’ll send your Sargent a recommendation list. As a prospective pilot, you will have the opportunity to schedule time in the sim podds. Unless your performance drops by graduation, I’d like to send you to the Academy, but you’ll do better there with a partner. It’s possible that the Academy will consider you as a three man unit, but it’s unlikely. It takes a lot to upkeep a three man Jaeger. Any questions?”

“No sir. Thank you, sir.” Ray said, ducking his head respectfully. 

“Wonderful. I’ll be keeping an eye on your sim scores, for all three of you.” he said, turning to the Way’s with a stern look, “You two have some of the top scores in the sim units so far, I expect that to continue. Gerard, you asked for this, and you both have real potential. Don’t fuck this up, son.” 

Gerard swallowed nervously before responding with a solemn “Yes sir.”

“Alright, get your sorry asses out of my office. I don’t want to see you back here until you have a drift partner, Toro. Now get back to class.”

 “Sir, yes sir.” they chorused, saluting before turning smartly and exiting. 

They waited until they’d exited the building and turned the corner before letting loose. Ray collapsed against the side of the building, hands clutching his heart as he laughed, delighted. Gerard danced a dorky little victory dance that combined some really bad shimmying and some of their martial arts kicks, ending with one fist pumped in the air triumphantly, his opposite leg raised and bent. Mikey just shook his head and laughed at their antics.

“Holy shit! Gee! MikeyWay! They want to send us to the Jaeger Academy!” Ray said, breathlessly. 

“Hell yeah! I knew they would.” Mikey said, smiling as he looked down at Ray through the glasses perched at the edge of his nose. 

Gerard laughed and ruffled Mikey’s hair before pulling both of them into a hug. 

“We are going to Jaeger School, motherfuckers!” Gerard declared. 

They laughed together, their excitement bubbling up and out. None of them had wanted to be here, but since they were, they were determined to make a difference, to be the best they could be. Thanks to the ghost of a bond from their drift, Ray could feel their relief added to his own, knew that like him they were pushing away their fears and doubts and embracing the silver lining. They’d take their victories where they could. 

“Shit. I’m going to need a copilot.” he said, doing his best to push away his fear and doubt. 

The commander said he was one of the best, said that they wanted him. He could do this, they could do this. 

“We’ll get you a co-pilot, Toro. Don’t worry. We’ve got your back.” Gerard said, his certainty ringing in his words and in Ray’s head. 

“We’re going to be the best goddamn unit they’ve got. Though they might change their minds on that if we don’t get back to class guys.” Mikey said. 

“Shit. Do ya think our jiu jitsu class is still in session?” Gerard asked, looking startled.

Ray laughed gently at how sidetracked Gee could get when he got caught up in something. 

“Probably, and if not, they’ll still be expecting us on the range.” Ray said.

“Fuck. Let’s go then.”

 

…

The next few days were grueling. The recruits that were considered for Jaeger Academy had to practice in the simulations on top of their regular drills and classes. This, of course, meant that their free time became practice time. Ray spent all of his free time in the sim room and on the mats, sparring and drifting with Gerard and Mikey, and with what seemed like an endless stream of other potential pilots that hadn’t matched well with anyone else.

After five days and little success in finding a copilot, Ray was starting to feel discouraged again. Mikey kept assuring him that they’d find him someone, and while he believed in his friends, he also knew that he was pretty damn close to exhausting the list of candidates that the commander had given them. Gerard had mentioned, tentatively, over breakfast that morning, that even if he didn’t mesh with any of the others here, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to go to the Academy, and maybe, if that happened, they’d find someone awesome at the Academy. The thought had only done so much to lift Ray’s spirit’s. 

The solution to his problems ended up not coming from the list at all. Ray sat at the mess table, struggling to pay attention to Saporta’s animated tale of his and Saraceno’s latest run in the simulator. He was exhausted, he hadn’t even had time in the last few days to write back to Christa. Gerard plopped down next to him, twitching with excitement.

“Hey, we’ve got the sim unit reserved at 7, right?” Gerard asked around a mouthful of chow.

“Dude.” Mikey said, grossed out, as he plopped down on Ray’s other side. 

“Yeah, of course. We’ve got pod 2 reserved for an hour at seven for the entire week.” Ray said, feeling even more tired just thinking about it.

“Awesome.” Gerard said.

Ray could tell that he was excited about something, but Gerard refused to say what it was, just telling him that he’d see. Mikey was in the dark as well, he just shrugged and continued eating when Ray asked if he knew what Gee was so excited about. Ray was too tired to worry about it. He finished his grub and nodded off against Mikey’s shoulder until they needed to head to the sim room. 

Someone was waiting for them in the second sim station. He was in his mid twenties or so, tall and broad shouldered with a dark goatee and a serious expression, wearing a uniform exactly like Ray’s own. Gerard strode forward and embraced the recruit, while Mikey relaxed. This, Ray realized, must be what Gerard was so excited about. Ray didn’t recognize the recruit from their time with the other potential pilots, but he figured that must be what, or rather who, he’s there for. 

“Hey! Thanks for coming, man,” Gerard said, embracing the other recruit. 

The new guy accepted the hug with a little bit of awkwardness that Gerard didn’t seem to notice. 

“You know Mikey, right?” he asked, and the guy nodded.

“Yeah, we’ve met,” Mikey said, stepping forward to shake his hand.

“Good to see you, Mikeyway. It’s been a while.” the stranger said.

“I didn’t know you were here, dude. We didn’t see you in the pilot’s session.” Mikey said.

The stranger shifted uncomfortably, shrugging.

“Yeah, they didn’t have me go. I’m a pretty good mechanic, so they had me pinned down for that.”

“I saw him practicing on the mats earlier this morning and he was good, so I convinced him to come try out with Ray. The brass thought it was a good idea, gave him the rundown,” Gerard said, beaming at Ray.

Ray stepped forward to shake the recruit’s hand. The other recruit’s handshake was strong and firm, and he had a hesitant smile. Ray got the impression that he was nervous, but he didn’t blame him. Drifting with someone new always made Ray nervous too.

“Hi, I’m Ray.” 

“Hey. I’m Matt. Pelissier,” he said, gesturing awkwardly to the name embroidered on his chest. 

“Nice to meet you. It’s always good to meet Gee and Mikey’s friends,” Ray said.

“Yeah. I met them a few years ago, through another friend.” 

“I think Shaun introduced us. At a show I think?” Gerard asked.

“”Yeah, I think so. But I don’t remember which band,” Matt said with a shrug, relaxing a bit.

“It wasn’t a good one.” Mikey said with half a grin.

“Ha! How many shows in Jersey have good bands?” Ray asked, making the rest laugh, “Do you play?” 

“Drums.” Matt said.

“Cool.” 

“He’s pretty good. We talked about starting up a band, but then this whole kaiju mess started,” Gerard said.

“I was disappointed I didn’t get to see you guys play,” Mikey said.

“Eh, it fell apart before it even really started. I only had one song, and we didn’t have a guitarist or anything. I was gonna call you, Toro, but then Mikey got drafted.” 

Ray laughed darkly, shaking his head at the way their lives had gone sideways thanks to the kaiju. 

“It’s a crazy world, man,” Ray said, moving to log himself into the console. 

“Super fucking crazy.” Gerard said, as he showed Matt how to log in.

“Which side should I get in?” Matt asked.

“The left one. Here, like this.” Mikey instructed, helping him into the rig.

Ray climbed into the right side, easily settling in after days of practice. He made sure the newbie, Otter, Gerard affectionately called him, was set before he gave the ok for Gerard to start the neural handshake. 

Ray closed his eyes as the handshake began, sweeping him up into the storm of memories and emotions. He and Matt stood side by side in their minds, in the eye of the storm. The other recruit’s memories swirled by alongside Ray’s, but Matt just let them go, accepting and dismissing them as fast as they flowed by. They were passing by too quickly for Ray to get a good glimpse of the ones that weren’t his own, but he didn’t mind, he was happy to respect Matt’s privacy. He was relieved that the other man didn’t seem to have any problems with the mental onslaught, accepting it in stride. It was the fastest neural handshake Ray had ever experienced on the first try with someone.

“Fuck yeah! Handshake stable and holding, guys!” Gerard said. 

“84%.” Mikey chimed in, pushing his glasses up his nose. 

At the same time, both Ray and Matt had memories of the first time they’d seen Mikey make the gesture flash through their minds. He could feel Matt’s surprise through the drift, and reached out mentally.

< _ You’re doing great! Memories and images might pop up in a drift, if they’re not relevant just dismiss them, if they are you don’t need to dwell on it. I’m in your head, I’ll get it.> _

He could sense Matt’s acknowledgement before he sent out a mental ok. He also knew the moment Matt realized that his ok wasn’t needed because Ray had picked up on his acquiescence.

< _ See, you’ve got it. Just don’t chase the memories is all. _ > Ray thought to him, with the implication that he didn’t think that would be a problem anyways. 

They moved through some forms together, calling out the names in unison. Matt’s form was sharp and his movements were strong. Gerard started up the simulation, placing them in his own favorite local, Tokyo, matching them against Megalodon, which had Ray shaking his head in amusement. He sent Matt a mental flash of images of him fighting the kaiju with both of the brothers, making him smile as well. Ray could feel his nervousness, but was impressed when he quickly pushed past it. 

Matt’s mind felt different from the others. It was deep like Mikey and Gerard’s, but it was quieter, much harder to read. He could tell that Matt was very private, the kind of person to watch and take information in, storing it away quietly. To Ray’s pleasure, unlike the majority of the guys that he’d attempted to drift with, Matt was able to lean into the mental weight of the drift and match Ray’s strength as they strode towards the kaiju. He was willing to offer suggestions and take them as well, all in a split second. 

They took the kaiju down by working together, using their strength to wrestle the creature, and their wit to avoid it’s teeth and claws. It wasn’t perfect, they had a few missteps, and a few close calls at first as they settled into a rhythm together, but it didn’t take long to find that rhythm. Matt wasn’t as sharp on his forms as Ray, but he had a keen eye, and just as much brute strength as Ray did himself. He fought from a calm place in his mind, calling openings as he saw them, accepting Ray’s knowledge of the beast from his previous sim fights. 

They finished the kaiju off with minimal kaiju blue spill, though they’d managed more property damage than Ray had wanted. But still, for Matt’s first time in the simulator, it was fantastic. And they’d made excellent time. 

“That was awesome, guys!” Gerard said, beaming at them.

Ray felt Otter’s flash of embarrassed pride at his excited proclamation. They had done well, and drifting with Otter had felt better than with any of the other cadets he’d drifted with in the past week. It could work, with a bit of practice.

“Yeah, it felt good too.” Ray said, nodding.

“Well, let’s see how he does with the rest of us.” Gerard decided. 

Ray let Gerard switch out with him, moving to stand at the com station with Mikey. Their drift went by without a hitch, so Mikey fired up the simulation a second time. Their drift compatibility percentage wasn’t as high, it sat at 80%, but that was enough. Watching Gerard drift was always interesting. He became more intense, his movements showy and bombastic as he moved with purpose and confidence. Otter seemed content to let Gerard call the shots, lending him strength and calm focus. They easily took down the kaiju.

Otter drifted with Mikey next, while Ray ran the simulation, Gerard breathing anxiously down his neck. Their neural handshake was more tenuous, at 78%. They made it work though, relying heavily on spoken communication. They took longer to take down the kaiju, but they did it, downing the beast in a show of muscle and determination. 

When the simulation ended, Mikey shut down the drift and started climbing out of the rig, drenched in sweat. 

“That was a good run.” Mikey said, giving Otter an approving look.

“What do you think now that you’ve drifted with all of us?” Ray asked him.

“It’s weird,” Otter said with a nervous chuckle, “but it’s cool at the same time. You guys make piloting look so easy, it’s harder than it looks.”

“Well, we’ve had more practice.” Gerard said.

“Yeah, you have. I’d like to get more practice with you guys, if you want.” Otter said.

“That would be cool.” Ray said, nodding.

“I’d be down.” Mikey agreed.

They agreed to meet at the same time, same place the next day for another round before making their way back to their bunks. On the way, Gerard chattered excitedly about the possibility of Otter joining them, and Ray agreed that it could definitely work. He liked the solid quiet of Otter’s mind, and had appreciated how readily he’d lent Ray his strength. 

That night, Ray fell asleep with an easy mind, finally feeling confident that this might just work out. By the end of the week, the four of them ended up back in Commander Blake’s office, asking to have Otter’s MOS switched to pilot. Their request was granted. A week later, before they graduated boot camp, they were told, along with a small group of cadets, that they had been chosen to go on to the Jaeger Academy to train to become pilots. 

Part of him was afraid, the prospect of fighting a kaiju was kind of scary. But Ray knew he’d be ok, with his friend’s at his side. He’d gotten through the hell that was boot camp with Gerard and Mikey, and now Otter, at his side, and in his head. He knew that together they could get through anything the Academy would throw at them. Ray knew there was hope for their future, for Earth’s future, as long as they worked together.  

**Author's Note:**

> So, I hope you liked this. I have more written, the next chapter is going to be quite a bit longer. I have 4 chapters planned out, but we'll see what happens. Each chapter should be from a different pov, this being Gerard's, the next is Ray's.


End file.
